Wet Floor Sign in a Supermarket: Can You Still Claim?

This guide covers England and Wales as at 16 October 2026. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own occupiers' liability legislation, so the position there can differ. It is general information only and not advice on any individual case.

The short answer

A wet floor sign is relevant evidence, but it is not an automatic defence. Section 2(4)(a) of the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 says that where a visitor is injured by a danger of which they had been warned, the warning is not to be treated without more as absolving the occupier from liability, unless in all the circumstances it was enough to enable the visitor to be reasonably safe.

What duty does a supermarket owe shoppers?

Under section 2(2) of the Act, the common duty of care is a duty to take such care as is reasonable in all the circumstances to see that the visitor will be reasonably safe in using the premises for the purposes for which they are invited or permitted to be there. Shopping in a supermarket is exactly that kind of invited use.

Section 2(3)(a) adds that an occupier must be prepared for children to be less careful than adults, so a sign that might be adequate for an adult shopper may not be adequate for a child.

Questions that decide whether a warning was enough

The statute does not list tests for an adequate warning; it asks whether the warning was enough in all the circumstances. In practice, the questions that tend to be examined include whether the sign was placed where a shopper would see it before reaching the hazard, whether it identified the actual danger, and whether the store could reasonably have cleaned up or cordoned off the area instead of relying on a sign alone. These are factual questions, and the answer depends on evidence such as photographs, CCTV and cleaning records.

Evidence worth keeping if you slipped near a sign

Photograph the sign and its position relative to the spillage, ask for the incident to be recorded in the accident book, and note witness details. Our guide on what to do after a supermarket slip explains each step. A medical record from the same day also helps.

Time limit

For personal injury claims, section 11 of the Limitation Act 1980 sets a period of three years from the date the cause of action accrued or, if later, the date of knowledge of the injured person. Different rules can apply, for example where the injured person is a child or lacks capacity, so take advice promptly rather than relying on this summary.

Next steps

Every case turns on its own facts and no outcome can be promised. If you were hurt in a supermarket and want to understand your position, you can request a free, no-obligation assessment using the form on this page. See also our guide to slip and fall claims and our page on whether you can claim for a fall in a supermarket.